Latest Lexus IS 500 Spy Photos

Looks like this IS500 will have the goods to seriously play in the same league as the M3. With Lexus quality to boot, this would be a winner. Go Lexus.

It will need a manual transmission, I doubt Lexus will offer one. Lexus seems to follow Mercedes' philosophy on this one: BIG ENGINES = AUTOMATIC ONLY.

Which is ok since Lexus and MB customers are of the more "refined type" and care less about sport.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, in my HONEST and UNBIASED opinion, I think the IS350 competes more with the C350 from Mercedes than the BMW 330i / 335i.

This new exhaust is growing on me. BMW530i is right, Lexus competes more with MB than with BMW. Lexus puts luxury over sport or performance. People who buy Lexus will never buy manual transmission because it is a feeling of old system. Luxury also means comfort; hence customers buying Lexus will prefer sports cars handicapped. <- What I mean is: Feeling like driving a sport car without any of the driving skills.
Many people will disagree, but most drivers today do not have the driving aptitude like they use to, not because people are lazy, because times are changing and technologies has replaced many of this needed skills.

Anyway: This looks to be a great car. Hope to see it compete within its class. I wander what the price will be?

This is no other then an attempt to catch up to the hype around the GT-R. The V8 lexus will fail.

Montyz81, IS 500 is build to go against the MB C class AMG and the BMW M3. For your information about the GT-R, I'm a big fan of that car too, but Toyota have something bigger than that. That right, you guess it, the New Toyota Supra with 450-500 HP+. GT-R will probably have two version of the GT-R, one with 400-450 hp to goe against the Toyota Supra. And the other upper end GT-R with 450-500 hp to go against the up and coming Lexus LF-A with 500+ Hp with Formula 1 technology.

My bet, I think the Toyota Supra will out run the GT-R and LF-A will out run the upper end version of the GT-R as well. All of the vechicle that I mention are awesome cars and I would love to owned every single one of them.

Lexus

Right, just like the LS, GS, IS Lexus cars have failed?? :-))
Wake up and smell the quality my good man!!!

This wasn't a rant against Lexus. I was merely pointing out that the IS500 will probably be automatic-only, and that the IS350 TO ME, seems to be more of a C350 competitor.

I'm sure the IS500 will be amazing, but claiming it will be an M3 "competitor" is a little far fetched. I don't consider the Mercedes C55 AMG or the Audi S4 to be BMW M3 competitors on the basis that they're 4-door sedans and that the C55 is A/T only and the S4 is AWD. Differences like this account for a lot IMO.

why not just do the japanese thing and have a rev-happy, turbo engine, in an aluminium enhanced interior with black seats and lots of blue lights? having a huge torquey v8 doesn't seem very japanese to me, and finesse? what finesse?
they could make it a tech paradise to make it different, touch screen and lots of buttons.
probably won't even come to europe, to much competition from other cars.

blah blah blah... guys, please don't throw around "F1 technology" carelessly... these cars will not get 5% of F1 technology...

Maybe if Lexus comes up with an IS500 coupe it could compete with the M3. Right now it could compete with the C-class AMG's, S4/RS4, and maybe if 3-series has a M3 sedan. Coupe's are totally in a different class.

This is VERY exciting! The company that I work with just implemented a LEXUS program. They actually pay the lease of any LEXUS of your choice! Anyone want in on this? email me at croney79@hotmail.com

i smell an advert......

I have never been a big fan of Lexus, however if it is free.....guess what my next car is going to be?!!!! :)
efoxS4....you recommend the LS460 do ya?
However, I am not joking, anyone in Canada and the US can easily qualify for the LEXUS program. Check out www.10kclub.com

this in advert for a charity or something to do with poverty. croney, you lie.

shiftrightshiftright
" Looks like this IS500 will have the goods to seriously play in the same league as the M3. With Lexus quality to boot, this would be a winner. Go Lexus."

Shiftright, we'll just conveniently ignore the fact the BMW M3 has a 3.2L naturally aspirated engine, and that Lexus had to make theirs a 5L just to try compete.

Oh yeah,and the fact that the M3 was developed in the '90s while the IS is still in development.

Yeah, we'll just ignore those things.